OK, my thoughts on how it went!
Day 1.Leaving Leon the arrows go along the road though there are tracks along by the river, they looked much more appealing but I daren't leave the arrows in case I missed something. I thought I was going to be alone but eventually I met up with a young British couple and a Spanish guy, we all got on well so it was great. We stayed in the municipal in La Robla.
Day 2 Some kind soul has left a handleless coffee maker, coffee and milk so we were able to have coffee before leaving, without having to back track to the town. I had had serious misgivings about today. My only reason for doing the El Salvador now was that next year I may find I'm too old to do the climb, then I panicked and decided that I can't do it now and had opted to take the alternative. Fortunately I saw a guide in La Robla that seemed to indicate that the alternative still went up to Poladura, I think this was wrong but it gave me the impetus I needed.
The climb was tough but not as tough as I expected, when I got to the point that I was nearly on my knees I stopped, took my boots off for 5 minutes and had a handful of fruit and nuts. When I started again I found I had actually finished the worst of the climb, it still went up but more gently. I was glad that I was not alone, Pepe was behind me and I trusted that the others would send out a search party if I failed to materialise
The views are spectacular and it was so worth while.
Day 3 It was raining, this was Poladura to Pajares, so no views today. The walk to Puerto de Pajares was lovely, despite the rain, which was just drizzle really. Puerto de Pajares to Pajares was a killer, 2 steep descents down slippery grassy slopes, I felt that a toboggan would have been useful, and a very slow walk through a wood which should have been pretty but it was soooooooo muddy. I slipped and the mud went over the top of my boot, I almost sat down, that would have been awful. It was only 5 kms but took ages.
Day 4.Pajares to Pola de Lena. A lovely day and a pleasant walk. at Puente de los Fierros I opted for the deviation along the road as I really didn't fancy another steep descent, I passed 2 ruined 'hospitales' so I felt I was on a legitimate pilgrim route. The others said that the descent was awful.
Day 5 Pola de Lena to Oviedo. The walk to Mieres was fine, looking at other posts about the walk out of Pola I'm trying to recollect the early part of it but the new signs must be effective. It was Mieres to Oviedo that was a killer, so many ups and downs. We had been joined by a young Polish lad, he missed the turn in Mieres and somehow ended up on the Motorway where he was picked up by the police and 'escorted' to Oviedo. He said they were very friendly but they wouldn't let him out.
All in all this was a wonderful camino. I reckon that the Catalan is harder as it is longer, so more steep climbs and horrible descents.
Have a great walk, Sue, as Reb says, you are really in for a spectacular walk! Laurie
